Quasimoto

Oxnard, CA beat sensei Madlib is hip-hop's most prolific enigma; amongst his experimental projects, the oddest persona has to be Quasimoto. The bad character allegedly came to life during a weekend lost to psilocybin mushrooms. Quasimoto is just Madlib's voice sped up to a squirrel pitch, gabbing about blunts, broads and catchin' wreck. It's been eight years since the last Quasimoto album, so odds-and-sods collection Yessir Whatever is a welcome return to trippy form. Dedicated Madlib heads will likely have some of these songs on twelve-inches or bootlegs, but having alternate versions and rarities like the warped boom-bap of "Planned Attack" in one place is lovely. Faithful fans will also recognize and appreciate the wry flips of Skillz and Gangstarr standards on "The Broad Factor" and "LAX to JFK." Quas is an entertaining character, but Madlib's monotone delivery renders his braggadocio on cuts like "Brothers Can't See Me" dull. However, the alternate version of "Green Power" employs Madlib's dead-eyed vocals to great effect, together with a sombre, gorgeous piano loop. Though the material collected spans 12 years, it sounds cohesive. United by Madlib's crackly, jazzy samples, messy scratched hooks and bizarre sense of humour, Yessir Whatever is a gleeful trip down the rabbit hole of psychedelic rap.